DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A Review of Infrasound and Seismic Observations of Sample Return Capsules since the End of the Apollo Era in Anticipation of the OSIRIS-REx Arrival

Journal Article · · Atmosphere (Basel)

Advancements in space exploration and sample return technology present a unique opportunity to leverage sample return capsules (SRCs) towards studying atmospheric entry of meteoroids and asteroids. Specifically engineered for the secure transport of valuable extraterrestrial samples from interplanetary space to Earth, SRCs offer unexpected benefits that reach beyond their intended purpose. As SRCs enter the Earth’s atmosphere at hypervelocity, they are analogous to naturally occurring meteoroids and thus, for all intents and purposes, can be considered artificial meteors. Furthermore, SRCs are capable of generating shockwaves upon reaching the lower transitional flow regime, and thus can be detected by strategically positioned geophysical instrumentation. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) SRC is one of only a handful of artificial objects to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere from interplanetary space since the end of the Apollo era and it will provide an unprecedented observational opportunity. This review summarizes past infrasound and seismic observational studies of SRC re-entries since the end of the Apollo era and presents their utility towards the better characterization of meteoroid flight through the atmosphere.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0003525
OSTI ID:
2311333
Report Number(s):
SAND-2023-10474J; TRN: US2409134
Journal Information:
Atmosphere (Basel), Vol. 14, Issue 10; ISSN 2073-4433
Publisher:
MDPICopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (83)

Traveltimes for infrasonic waves propagating in a stratified atmosphere journal October 1998
Infrasonic detection of a near-Earth object impact over Indonesia on 8 October 2009: THE INDONESIAN BOLIDE journal June 2011
The fall of the Grimsby meteorite—I: Fireball dynamics and orbit from radar, video, and infrasound records journal March 2011
Model of the ablation of faint meteors journal April 2004
Tunguska Meteor Fall of 1908: Effects on Stratospheric Ozone journal October 1981
Recent Advances in Bolide Entry Modeling: A Bolide Potpourri journal December 2004
VLF detection of fireballs journal January 1995
Optical observations of meteors generating infrasound—I: Acoustic signal identification and phenomenology journal November 2014
The fall of the Peekskill meteorite: Video observations, atmospheric path, fragmentation record and orbit. journal January 1995
A “shocking” Leonid meteor at 1000 fps journal January 2004
Constraining the luminous efficiency of meteors journal April 2011
Hayabusa 2 extension plan: Asteroid selection and trajectory design journal September 2017
Infrasound production by bolides: A global statistical study journal May 2012
Meteors May Masquerade as Lightning in the Atmosphere of Venus journal August 2023
Infrasound radiated by the Gerdec and Chelopechene explosions: propagation along unexpected paths: Infrasound propagating on unexpected paths journal March 2011
Ablation and breakup of large meteoroids during atmospheric entry journal July 1971
Low-altitude airbursts and the impact threat journal December 2008
Seismic constraints from a Mars impact experiment using InSight and Perseverance journal October 2021
Orbital observations of meteors in the Martian atmosphere using the SPOSH camera journal January 2012
The OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission operations design conference March 2015
Advanced Meteor Orbit Radar observations of interstellar meteoroids journal May 2000
An estimate of the terrestrial influx of large meteoroids from infrasonic measurements journal August 2009
Modeling of 3D trajectory of Hayabusa2 re-entry based on acoustic observations journal February 2022
Determination of parameters of meteor bodies based on flight observational data journal August 2009
Earth Impact Effects Program: A Web-based computer program for calculating the regional environmental consequences of a meteoroid impact on Earth journal June 2005
Shock Waves from Line Sources. Numerical Solutions and Experimental Measurements journal January 1970
Fragmentation model of meteoroid motion, mass loss, and radiation in the atmosphere journal January 2005
Atmospheric Absorption of Sound: Analytical Expressions journal September 1972
OSIRIS-REx: Sample Return from Asteroid (101955) Bennu journal August 2017
Physics of meteor generated shock waves in the Earth’s atmosphere – A review journal August 2018
Genesis Mission Design journal March 2001
Global morphology of infrasound propagation: GLOBAL MORPHOLOGY OF INFRASOUND PROPAGATION journal November 2003
CTBT infrasound network performance to detect the 2013 Russian fireball event: CTBT infrasound network performance journal April 2015
Evidence for a meteoritic origin of the September 15, 2007, Carancas crater journal November 2008
A meteorite crater on Earth formed on September 15, 2007: The Carancas hypervelocity impact journal December 2009
Infrasound/seismic observation of the Hayabusa reentry: Observations and preliminary results journal July 2012
Asteroid Impact Risk: Impact Hazard from Asteroids and Comets book March 2022
Optical observations of meteors generating infrasound: Weak shock theory and validation: Weak Shock Theory and Validation journal March 2015
Validity of the photometric formula for estimating the mass of a fireball projectile journal February 2008
on meteor-generated infrasound journal March 1976
Chelyabinsk Airburst, Damage Assessment, Meteorite Recovery, and Characterization journal November 2013
The Carancas meteorite impact crater, Peru: Geologic surveying and modeling of crater formation and atmospheric passage journal July 2009
Meteoroid ablation models journal December 2004
Detection of Acoustic/Infrasonic/Seismic Waves Generated by Hypersonic Re-Entry of the HAYABUSA Capsule and Fragmented Parts of the Spacecraft journal October 2011
Calibrating infrasonic to seismic coupling using the Stardust sample return capsule shockwave: Implications for seismic observations of meteors journal January 2007
A Multidisciplinary Study of the 17 January 2018 Bolide Terminal Burst over Southeast Michigan journal August 2018
Detection of meteoroid impacts by the Geostationary Lightning Mapper on the GOES ‐16 satellite journal July 2018
Meteor Phenomena and Bodies journal September 1998
OSIRIS-REx, returning the asteroid sample conference March 2015
Genesis-An artificial, low velocity “meteor” fall and recovery: September 8, 2004 journal June 2005
The OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission conference March 2015
Meteors and Atmospheres journal January 1980
Largest recent impact craters on Mars: Orbital imaging and surface seismic co-investigation journal October 2022
A joint seismic and acoustic study of the Washington State bolide: Observations and modeling journal May 2007
Meteor radar observations at middle and Arctic latitudes Part 1: mean temperatures journal April 2004
The scientific observation campaign of the Hayabusa-2 capsule re-entry journal December 2021
Infrasound signals of fireballs detected by the Geostationary Lightning Mapper journal October 2021
Long duration flights in Venus’ atmosphere using passive solar hot air balloons journal February 2022
Verification of the Flow Regimes Based on High-fidelity Observations of Bright Meteors journal August 2018
The flux of small near-Earth objects colliding with the Earth journal November 2002
Assessment of Kinetic Energy of Meteoroids Detected by Satellite-Based Light Sensors journal December 1997
Modeling the global micrometeor input function in the upper atmosphere observed by high power and large aperture radars journal July 2006
Flawed drawings caused spacecraft crash journal October 2004
Determination of Meteoroid Orbits and Spatial Fluxes by Using High-Resolution All-Sky CCD Cameras journal January 2008
Global Detection of Infrasonic Signals from Three Large Bolides journal December 2007
An Overview of JAXA's Ground-Observation Activities for HAYABUSA Reentry journal October 2011
Physics of meteor entry journal March 1965
Acoustic-Gravity Waves from Bolide Sources journal November 2007
Leonid meteor ablation, energy exchange, and trail morphology journal January 2004
On the speed of sound in the atmosphere as a function of altitude and frequency journal January 2007
A brief visit from a red and extremely elongated interstellar asteroid journal November 2017
Stardust: Comet and interstellar dust sample return mission journal January 2003
A 500-kiloton airburst over Chelyabinsk and an enhanced hazard from small impactors journal November 2013
Airborne Observation of the Hayabusa Sample Return Capsule Re-entry conference June 2011
On Infrasound Standards, Part 1 Time, Frequency, and Energy Scaling journal January 2013
Analysis of a crater‐forming meteorite impact in Peru journal September 2008
Newly formed craters on Mars located using seismic and acoustic wave data from InSight journal September 2022
Stardust-An artificial, low-velocity “meteor” fall and recovery: 15 January 2006 journal February 2007
The observed characteristics of radio-echoes from overdense meteor trains journal December 1974
Atmospheric acoustics of Titan, Mars, Venus, and Earth journal February 2007
Meteoroids, Meteors, and the Near-Earth Object Impact Hazard journal January 2008
Video and radar observations of the 2000 Leonids: evidence for a strong flux peak associated with 1932 ejecta? journal September 2002
Air-Coupled Seismic Waves at Long Range from Apollo Launchings journal September 2010